Ceramic art has long been a staple of human civilization, with pottery and other fired clay creations tracing back over 20,000 years. But while ceramic art has traditionally been expressed through vessels, tiles, and flat sculptures, contemporary ceramic artists are pushing the boundaries and going vertical. Large-scale vertical ceramic sculptures are becoming increasingly popular, bringing a bold new dimension to this ancient medium.

The Rise of Vertical Ceramic Sculptures

For most of history, ceramic art has been largely utilitarian and small in scale. The technical constraints of clay – its weight, fragility, and shrinkage when fired – made large or tall ceramic sculptures impractical. Ceramic objects were also limited by the size of kiln chambers.

But with advancements in material science and kiln technology, ceramic artists have much greater freedom to “go vertical” with their work. Many creatives are now scaling up their pieces to monumental sizes. Vertical ceramic sculptures are an exciting new direction for the medium.

Benefits and Challenges of Large Vertical Ceramic Pieces

Working vertically in clay has many advantages both aesthetically and practically. Tall ceramic sculptures can make dramatic statements and become focal points in gardens, building lobbies, plazas, and other settings. Their height naturally draws the eye upwards.

Creating vertically also allows for new expressive possibilities. Artists can stack or combine molded components to achieve exciting silhouettes. Gravity and balance become more important design factors. New firing techniques like raku can create beautiful vertical drips and patterns.

But vertical ceramic art also poses difficulties. Weight, stress points, and fragility must all be addressed to create sturdy, durable works. Special armatures, frames, or mounts may be needed for support. Shrinkage and other technical aspects require precision. Overall, vertical ceramic sculpture requires careful planning and skillful execution.

Notable Vertical Ceramic Artists

A number of contemporary ceramicists have become renowned specifically for their vertical sculptures and installations. Here are a few of the most influential:

Jun Kaneko

Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Jun Kaneko is famed for his monumental organic ceramic forms. His dangos – rounded, glazed coils stacked vertically – range from several feet high to over 20 feet. Simple yet impactful, they exhibit expert control of balance and proportion. Kaneko’s work is in numerous museum collections.

Viola Frey

California ceramicist Viola Frey constructed towering human figures in clay, often over 7 feet tall. With their rough, heavily textured surfaces and imposing stances, these sculptures have an exaggerated, confrontational quality. Frey worked in clay for over 30 years until her death in 2004.

Arnie Zimmerman

Vermont-based Zimmerman specializes in nature-inspired vertical ceramic pieces reflecting themes of growth and fragility. He builds delicate towers from small coiled and sliced components, often incorporating branches, feathers, or shells. The works exhibit a sense of precarious balance.

Christie Brown

Christie Brown handbuilds stoneware columns that resemble cacti, coral, and underwater plants. With heights up to 16 feet, the sculptures showcase her skill for intricate textures and oozing, dripping glazes. She often incorporates lighting effects into the hollow clay forms.

Peter Reginato

Reginato has become known for his biomorphic vertical sculptures made from curved, grooved clay slabs. With glossy polishes and brilliant colors, they have an Art Deco feel. His designs often feature ovals, spirals, and concave shapes in distorted towers.

Brett Kern Ceramics

This ceramic studio in Pennsylvania specializes in mosaic-like columns built from thousands of tiny colorful components. Some cylindrical towers measure over 5 feet tall. The works incorporate a range of glazing effects, from matte to polished.

Unique Firing Techniques

One advantage of vertical ceramic art is the opportunity to exploit gravity through creative firing techniques. Manipulating the positioning during kiln firing can achieve dripping, pooling, and crawling effects. Here are some interesting vertical firing methods:

Raku Firing

This technique involves removing pottery from the kiln while still glowing hot and placing it in materials like sawdust that produce smoking effects. Vertical raku pieces exhibit bold drips and smudges.

Saggar Firing

Works are placed in protective casings like tin cans and fired, allowing ash buildup to melt and pool at the bottom. Saggar-fired vertical sculptures showcase gravity-influenced textures.

Pit Firing

Pieces are buried in combustion materials like hay or wood and ignited. Vertical positioning causes flaring effects at the top. Natural pottery shard shards can fuse onto the clay surface.

Horsehair Raku

Horsehair applied to extremely hot raku pottery briskly burns and creates feathery carbonized marks. On vertical pieces, the hair drapes downward in lovely flowing patterns.

Obvara Firing

This Slavic technique involves stacking pieces inside a wood-fired kiln. As heat rises, vertical works develop unique melting and bonding effects with the pieces above.

Contemporary Vertical Ceramic Artists To Watch

Beyond the established names, many up-and-coming ceramicists are exploring the vertical possibilities of the medium. Here are some on the rise:

Natalie Blake creates towering coils built up in a spiraling technique she calls “clay stacking.” The hollow columns are then painted with fluid acrylic pours that drip down the textured surfaces.

Jennifer McCurdy‘s porcelain sculptures resemble sea coral, barnacles, and other marine life. The delicate tendrils and tufts stack into 15-foot organic towers evoking underwater environments.

Hana Karim produces figurative sculptures in the style of ancient Mesopotamian art. Her elongated female forms with geometric facial features can reach up to 8 feet tall.

Marina Bauguil handbuilds stoneware columns dotted with touches of gold luster and encrusted with tiny detailed reliefs depicting animals and nature. The works have a Baroque magnificence.

David Furman constructs wood-fired stoneware towers from thousands of small slipped and glazed squares. The mosaic-like rectangles ripple and undulate for mesmerizing optical effects.

Prominent Vertical Ceramic Exhibitions

Many major exhibitions have spotlighted the work of vertical ceramic artists. These shows have been key to bringing monumental clay sculpture into the art world spotlight:

• Power Made Manifest, 1993 – This pivotal traveling exhibition showed large-scale ceramic works by Viola Frey, Jun Kaneko, Adrian Saxe, and others.
• Tall Vertical Forms, Contemporary Arts Center, 2002 – Curated by Garth Clark, this exhibit featured sky-reaching sculptures by Christie Brown, Akio Takamori, and more.
• Reaching for the Sky, Museum of Arts and Design, 2007 – Works by Peter Reginato, Marilyn Levine, Sergei Isupov, and others demonstrated new directions in vertically.
• Sublime Geometry, Museu Europeu d’Art Modern, 2011 – Architectural ceramics like massive fluted columns reflected verticality’s relationship to historical motifs.
• Pierced, National Museum of Cambodia, 2016 – Jun Kaneko’s giant perforated ceramic towers provided a breathtaking centerpiece for this Asian art survey.

Major art fairs like SOFA Chicago have also established special sections dedicated to tall clay works, giving vertical ceramic art even greater visibility.

Monumental Ceramic Installations

Many ceramicists have moved beyond standalone sculptural works to encompass entire environments with their installations. Some remarkable examples include:

• Porcelain Cave, Annabeth Rosen – A room completely covered in thousands of tiny porcelain stalactites, giving the illusion of being inside a sparkling geode cave.
• Halo, Tip Toland – A 20-foot circle of over 5,000 handmade porcelain spikes suspended from the ceiling, evoking a radiant cosmic ring.
• Tornado, Jenny Kendler – A swirling tornado-like form created from hundreds of black and white spiraling porcelain tubes measuring up to 16 feet long.
• Remnant, Patrick Dougherty – Massive abstract columned structures crafted from willow saplings and layered with textured clay. The biomorphic forms resemble deserted ruins.
• LogHut, Sara Paloma – A habitable hut structure built from clay components and burnished logs, designed to slowly erode over time when exposed to the elements.

These breathtaking installations demonstrate ceramic art’s huge potential for verticality on an environmental scale.

Permanent Public Ceramic Commissions

Municipalities, museums, and other institutions are also embracing monumental vertical ceramic sculpture for public art. Some notable permanently installed commissions include:

• Cactus Columns, Cleveland Botanical Garden – Playful 16-foot mosaic tile columns studded with colorful ceramic spikes and blooms by environmental artist Susan Zoccola.
• Sediment Spire, Seattle University – John Grade’s 37-foot tower of huge overlapping ceramic rings with a barnacle-encrusted sea theme.
• Language Column, University of California Santa Barbara – An 11-foot etched glass and ceramic column by Italo Scanga featuring multiple scripts, symbols, and fragments of poetry.
• Élan Vital Apuan, Rice University – Seven vibrant 13-foot poured and layered tile columns containing 40 tons of clay, by Matteo Galandra.
• Stargazer, Denver International Airport – massive disembodied ceramic heads in rows by Jaime Molina gaze up at passing travelers.

These works activate public spaces while demonstrating clay’s versatility and strength on a grand scale.

Functional Vertical Ceramic Designs

While ceramic art is going vertical in bold new ways, many potters are also incorporating height into functional designs:

• Vertical vase sculptures – A popular trend is creating artistic sculptural vases that incorporate vertical stacking, loops, and protrusions while still being flower-holding vessels.
• Towering urns – Some potters specialize in modern urns for ashes or small keepsakes that can reach 3 to 4 feet tall while maintaining elegant silhouettes.
• Stacked canister sets – Canisters for kitchen storage are being redesigned as artistic tower configurations rather than single jars.
• Obelisk lamp bases – Innovative ceramicists like Francesca DiMattio create handmade porcelain lamps with multi-sided vertical obelisk bases extending up to 6 feet.
• Totemic table sets – Tables and tableware with totem pole-like stacked ceramic sculpture centerpieces are hot in exclusive tableware lines.

While pushing boundaries, many ceramists still recognize the strong appeal of functional vertical works for home decor and daily use.

Future Directions for Vertical Ceramic Art

As ceramic technology and creativity both continue advancing, vertical works offer unlimited potential. Some possible new directions include:

• Collaborative projects with other vertical art forms like tower architecture, fiber art, and tapestry weaving
• Works evoking geological formations like stalagmites along with terra cotta’s traditional earthy nature
• Bolder monumental installations in public spaces to activate cityscapes
• New firings like using balloons to create gas pockets within vertical sculptures
• Artificial intelligence-aided designs generated using algorithms and 3D modeling
• Interactive pieces with kinetic elements, lighting, or sound
• Continued merging of art ceramic sculpture with innovative functional objects

From the first fired clay figures of ancient times to today’s daringly tall installations, the urge to go vertical has long been an inspiration for ceramic artists. As creatives continue to scale new conceptual and physical heights with their work, monumental clay sculpture promises to be one of art’s most exciting frontiers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vertical Ceramic Art

Vertical ceramic art is experiencing a major renaissance in the contemporary art world. From soaring public sculptures to innovative gallery installations, clay is going vertical. Here are answers to some common questions about this exciting movement:

How tall can ceramic sculptures be?

With modern kilns and reinforced armatures, ceramicists can now create works over 25 feet tall. Some monumental installations even reach 50+ feet. However, most freestanding ceramic sculpture ranges from 4 to 12 feet high.

What are some technical challenges for tall ceramic art?

Weight, stability, wind resistance, and fragility issues must all be addressed when going vertical. Kiln size can also be a limitation. Thick, heavy bases plus internal support rods are often needed. Special transport and installation considerations exist too.

Why is height suddenly trending in clay sculpture?

New technical capabilities, a desire to make bold statements, and public art commissions have fueled the vertical ceramic movement. Ceramicists are always looking to push boundaries and rethink expectations.

How are tall ceramic sculptures constructed?

Many techniques are used. Coil building, slab building, extruding, and molding components that are then stacked and joined is common. Some artists assemble small modular parts into towers. Found objects can provide armature support.

Are there functional vertical ceramic designs?

Yes, tall vase sculptures, stacked canisters, tableware totems, obelisk lamps, and other innovative works incorporate height into functional objects. But most vertical pieces are artistic sculptures.

What are some key considerations for firing tall ceramics?

Stability, kiln space, element placement, weight distribution, and firing schedule timing are all important factors. Special firing techniques like raku and saggar can exploit height.

Do vertical ceramic artists work in specific styles or genres?

A huge diversity exists from figural to minimalist to abstraction. But biomorphic and architectural themes lend themselves well to verticality. Nature-inspired and fantasy-based works are also common.

What are some top locations to see vertical ceramic art?

SOFA art fairs in Chicago and New York feature vertical ceramic galleries. The Museum of Arts and Design and Racine Art Museum showcase excellent works. Many public art commissions exist too.

How durable are tall ceramic sculptures?

With proper engineering and firings, large ceramic works can last for decades outdoors. Glazes protect against weathering. But ceramics are still vulnerable to vandalism or accidental damage without proper safeguards.

Is vertically challenging for ceramics?

Yes, gravity and height introduce factors like structural stress, stability, and increased technical complexity. But conquering the challenges allows for exciting new creative directions. Vertical ceramic art requires great skill.

Notable Vertical Ceramic Works and Artists

From ancientfigures to soaring contemporary installations, ceramic art has long embraced verticality. Here is a survey of some of the most significant vertical ceramic works and their creators:

Ancient Cultures

• Venus of Dolni Vestonice – This 11-inch fired clay Venus figurine from the Czech Republic is among the earliest known ceramic artworks (26,000-24,000 BCE).
• Chinese Funerary Vessels – Elaborately shaped vertical earthenware vessels from early Chinese dynasties (1600 BCE) held offerings for the afterlife.
• Moche Portrait Vessels – Intricately sculpted and stacked portrait jar vessels were crafted by this ancient Peruvian culture (100-800 CE).
• Maya Incense Burners – Carved stoneware incense burners stood up to 2 feet tall among the Maya civilization before the 10th century CE.

18th & 19th Century

• Porcelain Room – This entire lavish room in the Charlottenburg Palace, Germany (1701) is covered in Baroque vertical architectural porcelain motifs.
• Sèvres Vases – Ornate and monumental French porcelain vases reached new heights in the mid 19th century, often over 5 feet tall.
• Pioneer Pottery – Early American potters like the Teco Company (1853) created tall reed-like ceramic vessels and chimney flues.
• Weller Art Pottery – Floriform vases with vertical sprouting flower shapes were a signature work of this Ohio pottery studio after 1872.

Early/Mid 20th Century

• Amphora Vessels – Stravinsky and other modernists embraced the ancient style of these long, vertically ridged ceramic storage jars.
• Delaherche Column – French artist Auguste Delaherche created this 15-foot glazed stoneware column for the 1925 Exposition Internationale.
• Torige Ware – Japanese potter Kamoda Shoji honed the Mingei folk craft aesthetic through tall vases and sculptural works (1920s).
• Floraline Ware – These art deco stylized flower vessels by American potter Florence Willis (1940s) exploit vertical forms.

Post-1950s Art Ceramic Sculptors

• Peter Voulkos – His abstract expressionist Stack sculptures (1950s-60s) assembled thick clay slabs vertically like totem poles.
• Ruth Duckworth – Her figurative sculptures convey female strength through elongated, columnar shapes (1960s-90s).
• Paul Soldner – Raku firing allowed his coiled clay sculptures to become monumental designs (1960s).
• Arneson’s Alphabets – These asymmetrical stacked letter sculptures (1970s) are avant-garde classics.
• Robert Brady – His brick-like vertically stacked reliefs have an architectural modernist feel (1970s-present).
• Adrian Saxe – Known for blending vertical assemblage and classical vessel shapes in large-scale works (1970s-present).
• Richard Notkin – His socially-charged stacked ceramic sculptures comment on consumer culture (1970s-present).
• John Mason – Abstract geology-inspired columns withorganic shapes and textures (1980s-present).
• Akio Takamori – Figurative baskets, pagodas, and vessels that stack vertically with surreal motifs (1980s-present).
• Kathy Butterly – Whimsical precariously-piled coils that defy gravity. (1990s-present).

Contemporary Vertically-Inclined Ceramicists

• Viola Frey – Figurative ceramic sculptures on enormous scales (1970s-2004).
• Jun Kaneko – Architect